Window or curtain fixture



No. 624,775. Patented May 9, I899. P. G. EMERY.

WINDOW OR CURTAIN FIXTURE.

(Application filed Nov. 5, 189B.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-"Sheet I.

No. 624,775. Patented May 9, I899.

P. a. many. WINDOW 0R CURTAIN FIXTURE.

(Application filed Nov. 5, 1898.)

(No Model.) 3 Shaets-8heet :2.

No. 624,775. Patented May 9,1899. P. G. E'MERY. WINDOW 0R CURTAIN FIXTURE.

(Application filed Nov. 5, 1898.)

3 Sheets8heet 31.

(No Model.)

TH: ucRms wnzns so PHoTo-uma. WASHINGTON u. L.

NITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

PLATO G. EMERY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ADAMS 8t WESTLAKE COMPANY, OF ILLINOIS.

wlNnow OR CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

SJPECIFICATIONfOrming part of Letters Patelnt No. 624,775, dated May 9, 1899.

Applieatibn filed November 5, 1398. Serial No. 695,606. (No model.)

To all 1077107771 it may concern:

Be it known that I, PLATO G. EMERY, of

Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Window or Curtain Fixtures, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings and ,to the letters of reference marked thereon.

- My invention relates more particularly to such window or curtain fixtures as are intended for use in railway-cars and are of that class in which the curtain may be raised or lowered to any height within the limit of the frame, with its cross-bar always horizontal with the top and base of theframe, and remain at any height to which it may be moved.

A curtain-fixture of the-class to. which my invention is more especially adaptable is shown in United, States Patent No. 513,307, granted January 23, 1894, to George A. Grisson. After each trip the carer cars are usually sent to the yard and cleaned, the curtains being pulled out to theirfull length and dusted, and heretofore in the use of the said patented device it has been necessary for the cleaner to get in behind the curtain. It is impracticable or difficult to do this, inasmuch as the cross bar or rod carried by the curtain cannot be readily removed from its frame or guides, and heretofore the only way the carcleaner could get at the back of the curtain was to pull it down to its lowest limit and then grasp it at the middle and pull .it outwardly. Aside from the danger of tearing the material of which the curtain is made such an'operation isan awkward one; and the present invention has for one of its objects to enable the curtain to be more readily cleaned than heretofore. Other objects are to permit of the bodily removal of the curtain and fixture from the framing without detaching the cables from the cross bar or rod or leaving them dangling from their upper fastenings, to allow of the repair of the curtain when necessary, and to facilitate generally the use of curtains and fixtures of this class.

Efforts have beenmade to effect the easy manipulation of the curtain by causing its for cleaning or repair.

bottom to be readily attachable to and detachable from the cross-bar or curtain-stick without removing the latter from its frame or.

guides; but prior to my invention, so far as 11 am informed, no means have been devised whereby a cord attached to diagonally opposite corners of the frame may be readily detached from one or more of said corners and as, readily reattached, thus permitting-the curtain to be easily hand led, and while I here show certain preferred mechanical constructions under which my invention may be put into, effect I do not limit myself thereto, but

intend to cover, broadly, means whereby such cord may be expeditiously detached from such corner or corners and as readily reattached in order that the entire curtain-fixture may be removed or the curtain manipulated In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a face view or elevationof a railway-car window provided with a curtain -fixture constructed according to my invention and in position, the frame or casing of the window being partly shown in section. Fig. 2 is "a view showing the curtain-stick removed from its frame or guides. Fig. 3 shows the invention applied to an open or summer car. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the catch, the figure showing also at the right in perspective a portion of the cord, wire, or chain with the ball attached, all as hereinafter described. Fig. 5is a vertical longitudinal section of the same catch, showingin full lines the ball caught thereby. Fig.6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the catch,

showing the ball in the act of being expelled rial and is here shown as wound upon a springroller D, the function of which is to tendat all times to wind the curtain up on the roller, and thus raise the curtain to its highest position. As hererepresented myinvention is appliedto that class of curtains or fixtures described in said Patent No. 513,307, in which the curtain is provided with a tube carried at its bottom and two cords connected to diagonally opposite corners of the window-frame and passing through the said tube, each cord crossing the other. termed the cross bar or rod.

As here indicated, the lower end of the curtain B is provided with a tube 0, which may be made of metal or other preferred material, at each end of which a suitable guide-piece D is placed, the ends of the guides being in contact with the cords, wires, or chains D as explained in the said Orisson patent, No. 513,307. In the present adaptation of my invention to a window or curtain fixture of the description set forth in the said patent I do 'not limit myself to any particular arrangement of guide-pieces, construction of tube or bar, or other details, all of which maybe variously modified by the skilled mechanic.

E is a catch, Figs. 4, 5, and 6, one of which is attached, preferably, to each lower corner of the frame A, although, if desired, the upper corners may be furnished with similar catches. The part c of the catch E has an upper bifurcated hook e and is screwed to the frame A, as shown, being provided with side wings 6 in which is pivoted a lever 6 its upper arm being curved, as seen at 6 The curved part of the upper arm of the lever e is normally forced against the part 6 by means of a spring a.

The lower end of each cord D (or in one form of my invention seen enlarged in Figs. 7 and 8 each end of each cord) is furnished with a ball, which as an entirety is represented by F, each ball when in position being caught under the bifurcated hook e and against the curve a of the upper arm of the lever 6 the cord D passing within and through the slot of the bifurcated hook e.

As shown in Fig. 7, the ball is made in three piecesviz., the perforated stud f, the perforated ring f, and the nut f The cord D passing through the perforated stud f and its slightly-projecting ring f is clamped by turning the nut f When it is desired to change the tension of the cord, this can readily be done by loosening the nut, slipping the stud and ring upon the cord, and again tightening up the nut.

As shown in Fig. 8, the ball is made of two parts onlyviz., the perforated stud f and the nut f The cord D passing through the perforated stud, is clamped between the head of the stud and the nut f and when it is desired to change the tension of the cord so clamped this may be done by loosening the nut, slipping the stud upon the cord, and tightening the nut, as will be readily understood.

The ball F, of either construction, is so The tube is what is hereshaped as to fit snugly under the bifurcated hook e of the catch and against the curve e of the upper arm of the lever 6 In front of each catch and screwed or otherwise attached to the inner part of the frame is a plate, shield, or escutcheon G, having a perforation g opposite the lower arm of the lever 6 When the cord D is to be detached from the catch E, this may be done by pressing the lowerarm of the lever inward by means of a small instrument 9 or an ordinary nail passed through the hole 9' in the plate G, which will cause the curve e of the upper arm of the lever e to push the ball out of contact with the hook e of the catch and the attached cord out of the slot in the hook, both ball and cord being forced through the groove or guide in the frame, when the tension upon the cord will at once and automatically cause the ball to fly up from the hook e, thus disengaging the cord from the frame. (See Fig. 6.)

The upper end of each of the cords may be attached to an ordinary clip or fastener H, or, if preferred, a catch such as has been described may be placed at each upper corner of the frame for maintaining contact between the cord and'the frame. By using four catches it will be seen that the entire curtain and fixture may be readily and almost instantly removed from the frame without detaching the cords or cables from the tube or cross-bar C, so that the whole may be lifted out from the frame for anypurpose. This arrangement is a great convenience and obviates the necessity which would otherwise exist of leaving the cords, wires, chains, or cables dangling from the top clips.

This device is to a certain extent automatic in its action, because of the tension which always exists to a greater or lesser degree in the cord. This tension upon the releaseof a ball from its catch will cause the instantaneous and automatic starting of that end of the cord from its catch, preventing the necessity of removing the cord therefrom by manual action.

Fig. 3 shows the adaptation of the invention to an open or summer car, this being one of the most important uses for which it is designed. It will be understood that the application is the same as to a closed car, the standards of the frame of the open car being the equivalent of the window-frame of the closed one.

The construction of what I term the ball The plate, shield, or escutcheon G prevents unauthorized access to the catch, and while the detachment of the cord can be readily accomplished by the use of a suitable tool it is believed that sufficient security is afforded to prevent tampering with the fixture.

While Ihave here shown What is considered to be a simple, efficient, and easily-operated device, I do not confine myself to this particularconstruction, as itis evident that modifications thereof having the same functions may be devised by a skilful mechanic without the exercise of invention.

By the use of the Word curtain herein I wish to also include a flexible screen, a slatted blind, a spring-actuated window-sash, or other equivalent device.

It is also to be understood that this invention is applicable to other adaptations of cords for preserving the parallelism of the bottom edge of a curtain or its equivalent.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is- 1. In a cord holding and detaching mechanism, a cord, and a device adjustably secured to the cord, combined with a catch for engaging the said device and holding the cord under tension, and having means adapted to be manually operated for detaching said device from the catch, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cord holding and detaching mechanism, a cord, and a device adapted to slide thereon and be clamped thereto, combined with acatch for engaging the device and hold ing the cord under tension, and having means capable of being manually operated for detaching said device from the catch, substantially as set forth.

4. In a cord holding and detaching device,

a cord and a ball adapted to slide thereon and be clamped thereto, combined With a catch for engaging the ball, a lever mounted in the catch and adapted to be manually operated for detaching the ball from the catch, and a spring for automatically returning the lever to normal position, substantially'as set forth.

5. In a tensiondevice for a cord, the combination of a holder, a lever pivoted thereto, a stud, the cord passing through a perforation therein, and a nut for clamping the stud on the cord, substantially as set forth.

6. A clamping, device consisting of a cord, a stud adapted to slide on the cord, a clamping-nut on the stud, a perforated ring also on the stud, throughwhich. the cord. passes, and a fixed holder for engaging the stud after-it has been clamped to the cord, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal.

PLATO G. EMERY. [L. s.] WVitnesses:

' WM. S. HAMM,

LoUIs V. EGGERT. 

